EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsDavid Benavidez moves up to the cruiserweight division to challenge WBA and WBO champion Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (PBC PPV on Prime Video, 8 p.m. ET).Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) is a former super middleweight and light heavyweight champion. After his quest for a megafight with Canelo Alvarez never materialized, he continued his climb in weight classes in pursuit of becoming a three-division champion. He enters the fight off a seventh-round TKO of Anthony Yarde in November, his seventh stoppage in his past 10 bouts.Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) is a two-division champion who previously held a super middleweight title before moving up to light heavyweight and eventually to cruiserweight. He captured the WBA cruiserweight belt against Arsen Goulamirian in March 2024, added the WBO title with a win over Chris Billam-Smith eight months later and most successfully defended both belts against Yuniel Dorticos in June 2025.While Benavidez will be making his cruiserweight debut, Ramirez enters his fifth fight at 200 pounds. Benavidez is five years younger, but both stand 6-foot-2, with Ramirez holding a half-inch reach advantage.Can Ramirez's experience at the weight be a deciding factor? Can he slow Benavidez's pressure early and take over in the later rounds? Or is Benavidez too fast and relentless to contain?Three former champions break down the matchup and offer their predictions.Rey Beltran, former lightweight championHow does Ramirez win?Anything is possible in a fight, but for Ramirez to win, Benavidez will need to be sick or injured. I just don't see how Ramirez wins the fight without something going terribly wrong for Benavidez. Ramirez doesn't have the speed to deal with Benavidez, who is going to be too fast for everyone in this weight class. Ramirez is very skilled, but speed is going to be his biggest issue. You have to be fast enough to react to Benavidez's flurries of punches. We haven't seen Benavidez be truly challenged to the point where he has to make adjustments and box his way to a win. Ramirez will have to find something that nobody else has found, and that's to slow Benavidez down.How does Benavidez win?He just has to be himself. I don't see it being competitive if Benavidez goes out there and does what he does best. He's too good at being a very precise puncher who is busy with very fast hands. He's a high-volume puncher, and that will eventually make Ramirez fade in the later rounds because he's going to have a really difficult time picking up Benavidez's rhythm and trying to keep up with all those punches that will come his way.Prediction: Benavidez by stoppage.Sergio Mora, retired former junior middleweight champion, current broadcast analystHow does Ramirez win?He's going to have to use the same style he has been showing since he moved to cruiserweight: Use his legs and jab. He needs to use the jab efficiently and work mostly on the outside before trying to make things work on the inside to land his power punches. He's not fighting another cruiserweight, but really a blown up super middleweight. Ramirez needs to believe that he's the bully of the weight class, not Benavidez. Ramirez is going to have to stand his ground and fight Benavidez toe to toe or he's going to get punked and run over.His defense has to be perfect. If Ramirez can create a scenario where he can stop Benavidez from piercing his guard, he can potentially tire him out. Ramirez is a big, strong cruiserweight and he must have a tight guard, which could make Benavidez spend all of his energy. He just has to hope that Benavidez gets tired. Once the steam is off the punches, Ramirez can find openings to counter, go to the body, and back up Benavidez. Ramirez is going to have to find ways to build his confidence by standing up to the aggressive Benavidez.How does Benavidez win?He's going to have to disrespect the champion. Benavidez is the meaner fighter who likes to push around his opponents. He doesn't need to use his jab as much and instead can use his lead right hand and upper body movement to work his way inside. That right hand will bait Ramirez to open up, thinking he can counter, creating an opportunity for Benavidez to unleash his combinations. He must pressure Ramirez into making mistakes.Benavidez has a frame reminiscent of the late two-division champion Diego Corrales -- long arms, narrow shoulders and the ability to throw hard punches without relying heavily on waist torque. But he's a lot faster than Corrales was, and I don't think we've seen anything like him. He has a little bit of Roy Jones Jr. in him as well, where he does things his opponents don't expect. He carries power at the end of his punches and uses his high volume to eventually break his opponent's guard. All of that volume will be too much for Ramirez if Benavidez can keep it up for 12 rounds.Prediction: Benavidez by decision.Shawn Porter, retired former welterweight champion, current broadcast analystHow does Ramirez win?He matches Benavidez in size and probably in strength, but he's not a physical boxer. His style is to be right there in front of you, but he is going to have to find a way to be more aggressive, even though we haven't seen it out of him. Ramirez is a championship-caliber fighter but he's going up against an opponent who is on another level as a champion. I don't know how, but Ramirez has to find a way to be physical and not let Benavidez push him around.How does Benavidez win?Benavidez holds a wider range of ways to win than Ramirez. The punches that Benavidez lands will be effective against Ramirez, and I don't think Ramirez can hurt him with the punches that he lands. I also don't think Ramirez is fast enough or strong enough to push Benavidez back. This may go a lot like every fight we've seen from Benavidez: starting off right in the middle of the ring and moving where Benavidez wants it to. What sounded like it would be a fun and exciting fight when it was first announced may still be fun and exciting but a very one-sided fight in favor of Benavidez.Prediction: Benavidez by decision.
